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Verna Myers, 85

Verna Julia Myers, 85, of North Hudson, Wis. died Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 at 9:20 a.m. at Christian Community Home in Hudson due to long-term complications with her leg wounds finally resulting in renal failure.

A funeral service will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday evening, Aug. 20, at Bible Baptist Church in North Hudson, officiated by Pastor Mark Shore. Visitation will be at the church immediately before from 6 to 7 p.m. As Mrs. Myers' late husband (Donald) was a Naval veteran of World War II, a private family-only graveside burial will be held at Fort Snelling Military Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minn. the following Friday.

Arrangements are under the direction of O'Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson, Wis.

Mrs. Myers was born, Dec. 29, 1923, in Chicago, Ill., the only daughter of Elina (Sotervick) Norton who immigrated to the USA from Finland through Ellis Island. She graduated from high school in Virginia, Minn., class of 1942. Verna married Donald Arvin Myers on Aug. 7, 1943, in Chicago where he was stationed for Naval training. After his discharge at the end of World War II, they made their home initially in Sioux City, Iowa, later in Elk Point, S.D., New Richmond, and finally in the Village of North Hudson.

While being a homemaker and mother, Verna worked part-time for many years at the Union County Bank in Elk Point, S.D. Upon relocation to Wisconsin, Verna taught office skills at the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in New Richmond.

Verna was a long-term member of Bible Baptist Church in Hudson and a devout born-again Christian. She loved to travel to the beaches in Florida and Hawaii, plus enjoyed cooking, decorating, horticulture, reading and shopping. Verna exhibited her Finnish heritage by having the "sisu" (perseverance) to successfully become a long-term cancer survivor and was proud to have participated in the University of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center's Tamoxifen Study program to further the progress of breast cancer research.

Family survivors include one son Mr. James Myers of Monument, Colo.; two daughters, Mrs. Charles (Louise) Peterson of Sioux City, Iowa and Mrs. Randy (Marty) Smith of Lee's Summit, Mo.; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Verna was preceded in death by her mother Elina in 1999 and her beloved husband Donald in 2004.